We plan love parties that give back.

What Makes a Modern Rebel?

Modern Rebels are you. They are us. They are people that believe it will get better. They know that throwing a party and giving back don't have to be mutually exclusive. They look at an event as a chance to celebrate life + love AND impact their local communities. They throw a love party and a homeless kid goes to summer camp. Or a child breaks the cycle of violence in her family. Or maybe an arts therapy program is funded. Or someone's life gets saved on a college campus. Because -- partnering with our non-profits mean ALL of these things can happen just cause you decided to throw a kick-ass party. Modern Rebels are done buying into the wedding industry's BS -- the princess mentality that says it's all about you. Cause our Modern Rebels know, we're all in this together and life is so much richer when we think this way.

Here at Modern Rebel, we believe parties can change the world.

Do you believe this, too? Let's get started.

Carly + Jackie

They had their first date at this restaurant. Now, they live within walking distance from it. It just felt natural to throw their love party here; their home away from home. The place that knows them better than any large venue. The place they’ve come to on their good days and bad. Where the waiters greet them by name and know their taste in wine.

Their love-party reflected that personal vibe. It was like walking into a cozy living room and being guided to the secret backyard where all your favorite people had come to sneak away from the world for a little while. This intimate backyard restaurant wedding was filled with so many sap-worthy moments. It was a celebration that love is love and Jewish traditions and Michael Jackson dance moves and pasta and so much love. Two people that didn’t want fussy --- just to be in the moment with 35 of their closest family and friends. And that’s what they got --- a love party that brought the neighborhood together.

Chaz + Michael

Oh, these two. How the heck can you ever say no to these two?! When Chaz and Michael realized a little late in the game they needed to bring a coordinator on-board for their February love-party, we just couldn’t. say. no. You see, you’d understand if you met Michael and Chaz. Michael is a manager at one of our favorite NYC restaurants --- one of the most likeable people you’ll ever meet. And then, you meet Chaz, the other half of this duo --- a totally down-to-earth hilarious interior designer. Together, they’re total magic with an eye for design, details, and really well scented candles.

They got married at 501 Union, one of our favorite venues, which is a mix of classic and modern with epic lighting. They weren’t fussy, either. You could just tell they wanted a total love-party. So, that’s what we did. There were giant balloons and 300 votives to make for a super dramatic table-scape and then the epic thunderstorm during their vows that basically felt like the universe clapping FOR them.

The party was short after the election and by the epic dance moves and emotional speeches, you’d think that this love-party was a direct response to the our new asshole President. A bunch of queer, southern, loud folks dancing their butts off and eating hot chicken and saying WE ARE HERE and we’re not going anywhere.

A lot of people despise weddings. I get it. I despise boring weddings that feel like a manufactured experience, too. Michael and Chaz weren’t having a wedding that mirrored anyone else’s. They were just celebrating their love and what that looked like was the most epic party you’ve ever been to. Because let me tell you, these two are worth celebrating. Plus, I’ve never heard so much Beyonce played at a wedding.

Michael + Chaz generously donated to Homes for the Homeless through their event.

Christina + Joseph

Christina and Joseph are the definition of chill. Getting married in July, keeping it chill was no small task --- good thing these two are up for anything. They wanted their love-party to feel relaxed, effortless, and a totally rockin’ time. They mixed a traditional ceremony with a totally untraditional 501 Union reception complete with a head bangin’ Fat Heaven live rock concert surprise after the DJ finished his set. Have you ever seen a bride head bang?! Cause we have. Can we tell you something: NOTHING is cooler than a bride head banging at her wedding. Nothing. Delicate, fragile bride stereotypes, be damned! This night was fun, funky, and totally fresh for these two that are all about keeping it real + low key. Plus, they ended the night with ice-cream and pie because being cool just comes naturally to these two.

Jeannie + Garrett

These two. Let me tell you a story about these two. They called me up in December and said they were eloping in Big Sur. Big, blow-out, oh-my-god this is the best day of your life events weren't their thing. Hey BOTH are doctors so maybe that puts the whole "weddings are not the be-all, end-all" in perspective a bit. But her Korean family would expect a celebration, and they wanted to honor their families in that way. They chose a big Gatsby venue on Long Island to accommodate their family and friends and make it convenient for their families to attend a post-elopement party. They loved the Modern Rebel mission + vibe, and they wanted to work with our team but they expressed that maybe this wasn't our scene? And to be honest, it isn't. We've never done a wedding at a mansion! But from the moment I first spoke to them, my gut feeling was WORK WITH THEM. Their relationship was solid, authentic, and they were marriage > wedding. And my gut was right. These two are as beautiful as they come. In their work lives, they're saving lives. In their personal lives, they are dancing so in love that everyone in the room with them is present, in-the-moment, rooting for them + their love. Each of our couples get to donate 5% of our coordination cost to one of our four non-profit partners. They chose Jed Foundation, a suicide prevention non-profit. My takeaway? Love parties save lives. Thank you, J + G for that beautiful reminder.

Kelsey + Max

As two artistic types coming together to celebrate their partnership, it’s no surprise they chose a blank canvas venue and transformed it into an alternative wonderland filled with hand dyed indigo napkins, amber glass bottle vases, and a vintage candy bar overflowing with treats. The night kicked off with a Scottish bagpiper playing the wedding party and 90lb flower-dog Ashanti down the aisle, and ended with a rousing dance-off where guests truly got down to well loved tunes from the rock n’ roll surf band. And, creative to the core, the couple captured the entire night of laughter, dancing, and cheers of joy through shots of whiskey taken from the bottle of whiskey topped with a Go-Pro. Because nothing says love like a toast with family and friends to making memories as magical as this one.

Due to the timing of their event, Kelsey + Max generously donated of the Houston hurricane relief efforts.

Kyle + Louisa

Kyle and Louisa aren't your average couple and didn't want their wedding to be cookie-cutter either. When talking about the wedding with their us, they said, "We don't want it to resemble a wedding except that maybe there's love and a white dress." Given that they hosted their event at one of Brooklyn's coolest concert venues, The Bell House, one they frequent often as audience members and performers (they both play guitar and sing really well), it wasn't too difficult to pull off.

The event started with a first look (including a private ring exchange!), then they walked down the aisle together up the steps to the stage. A hilarious friend officiated (it was more like a stand up routine than a ceremony, honestly), they had a nice make-out sesh, and it was official. The cocktail hour featured delish sausage while Kyle and Louisa played their college tradition game: STUMP. If you're unfamiliar with STUMP, you throw hammers and catch them and then try to knock a nail on a stump. The one who knocks the hammer all the way in wins. After cocktail hour, Kyle and Louisa did their first dance to a Nine Inch Nails and Carly Rae Jepsen remix. Then it was speech time, and the party ended with a CONCERT. Three of the couple's friend's bands kicked it off, and the couple closed out the night. First, they serenaded each other (with some head-banging) and then they sang together to end it all.

These two reminded our entire team that a wedding can look HOWEVER THE HELL YOU WANT. Seriously, stop reading wedding magazines right now. Stop. Are you on Pinterest? CLICK OUT NOW. It’s time to wake the hell up and look in the mirror with your partner and dream up something YOU. Something tells me, you might not find peonies looking in the mirror and that’s okay. :) Kyle and Louisa are in your corner and can tell you from experience, authenticity is a hell of a lot more fun.

Kyle + Louisa generously donated to the JED Foundation through their event.

Sabrina + Chris

Sabrina and Chris are two Floridians making a life in Brooklyn. But when it time to plan their love-party, they wanted to make sure their guests were reminded of their true sunshine state roots. That meant no pipe & draping --- instead their amazing floral team pulled off a tropical wall of plants that then moved to open up the space at cocktail hour. IT WAS SO DREAMY !

On top of the bangin’ decor was two just really down to earth people. Sabrina is an entrepreneur and makes jam --- have you heard of The Jam Stand? Look it up! Chris is in the music biz. You’ve gotta know these two are crafty and fun and just so effin’ cool. Their friends were chill and all that crap you’ve heard about weddings being stressful? Nope. Not here. Just palm trees and happy tears. All. Night. Long.

Sabrina + Chris generously donated to Homes for the Homeless through their event.

Steve + Joy

For these two, the best way to celebrate their love was in a special neighborhood spot and among their closest family and friends. With an old friend Matt officiating and Steve's brother Dean strumming the guitar, they started off the evening with a personal ceremony centered on love and connection. Next up: three courses of soul-soothing Italian and their favorite milk bar cake for dessert. Between Joy’s crown, a room full of fairy lights and the sun setting on the east river, we’re not exaggerating when we say it was a seriously magical affair.

Steve + Joy generously donated to the Center Against Domestic Violence through their event.

Tom + Dustin

You’re hardpressed to find two more likeable guys than these two. Self-described as nerdy --- these two fashion forward bookworms totally stole our hearts. Their day started in Brooklyn and ended with a giant dance floor in the middle of a sea of books, where they say they’re most comfortable being anyway. They had an amazing Chinese catered dinner, gorgeous cakes by our favorite bakers at BAKEDNYC, and their dog even joined for the festivities!

Tom and Dustin are shy and sincere and they felt they would feel most comfortable letting loose in a place they find themselves often, Strand Bookstore. Our team was lucky enough to plan this event with them --- planning small details like the bookmark escort cards, book centerpieces, finding the right florist to pull off a stunning wreath for the ceremony [Brooklyn Blooms is your gal]. Plus, we just got to know Tom + Dustin which was the greatest gift of all. What a treat to plan and coordinate a love-party for these two, who invite so much love into the room.

Tom + Dustin generously donated to Homes for the Homeless through their event.

Lucy + Matt

Lucy and Matt decided early on that they wanted to get married where they met. So, now all the way across the ocean [they had moved to California], organizing the details might be tricky. That’s when they brought Modern Rebel on! We’re so glad they did.

Their love-party was at a beloved Williamsburg Restaurant, Aurora BK. Imagine being transported to Italy where you can get the best pasta and the feeling of total quaintness right in the middle of NYC. That’s what ya get! It’s cozy and intimate and delicious and right by the water in Williamsburg, which makes for some dreamy couple portraits. Plus, they had the perfect mix between small dinner party [they had under 60 guests] and dance party. We even did the horah in a space usually reserved for intimate romantic dining. The vibe was relaxed, fun without too many tiny details that made your head-spin. They wanted it to reflect their California laidback quality, too. We found an amazing balance at Aurora for these sweet love-birds!

Lucy + Matt generously donated to the Center Against Domestic Violence through their event.

Amanda + Geovanni

It was a cold, wet, mild but fairly intense rain storm the day these two got married. For their ceremony, we’d planned it outside, on the water, overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge. Romantic, right? Well, if you think that’s romantic, let me tell you what really happened. It rained. It poured, and the spot on the water was less discernible given there was water everywhere …. So we posted up under an underpass. Their under 60 guest count huddled together for warmth (and so they could hear each other --- we were under a highway and in the middle of NYC] and they had the most intimate ceremony of all. A moment before --- they looked at me and said, you know, we planned to walk down alone but I just think that we need to walk down together. It’s like this rain storm was one big metaphor of all the storms these two had weathered together and it didn’t make any sense not to hold hands through this --- as they had all the other storms.

This romanticism warmed us all up and their friend officiant also brought some fun laughs. We all then hopped into taxis and to the reception venue [indoors, don’t worry!]. DISH brought the eats to compliment a piano band and fancy vintage furniture. It was an intimate night and one in which you realized these two are truly celebrated. And hey, sometimes the vision you have for something doesn’t pan out --- it rains and you’ve gotta duck for cover. If it’s all about who you’re with when that happens [like it was for Amanda and Geovanni], I think you’ll be just fine.

Amanda + Geovanni generously donated to Covenant House NY through their event [we made an exception since Amanda used to work there!]

Crystal + Justin

Justin and Crystal met at work. These two coy love birds wanted an intimate ceremony but a bangin’ party so why not have both? They exchanged vows on the Highline on a Friday with just immediate family. Then, Saturday night they treated their friends + family to a delicious dinner at the spot of their first date -- Toro Restaurant. The side note: this spot used to have a nightclub attached. That night club is now a private space that can be reserved and bought-out. So, they did that. They took their dance moves to the spot they first fell in love on that Toro dance floor.

That back room made it feel like a secret party of sorts. It was a bangin’ party but somehow they kept the intimacy with soft lighting and loud music. They did their first dance away from the world for a little while. To all their guests, it was like they’d been taken out of NYC for a while --- to a back room filled with doughnuts and dance moves and a chance to just escape for a little while.

Crystal + Justin generously donated to Homes for the Homeless through their event.

Maggie + Hans

My favorite story about Maggie and Hans was shared by Maggie’s mom at the wedding during her speech. As an event planner who works A TON of weddings, you can imagine that speeches start to sound the same. Oh, but not these speeches. You know how normally the dads speak since they’re the ones “giving her away,” well, Maggie + Hans wanted to subvert this and their mommas took the mic. Oh, and they dropped those suckers, too. Maggie’s mom explained the proposal --- that Hans was desperately trying to get Maggie down to Brooklyn Bridge Park but she wasn’t into it. But then the second he told her there was a protest for human rights --- she jumped right up and out they went. Amazing, right?!

But that’s just a crumb about the magic of these two. The whole cake is the feeling you get when you see them looking at each other. It’s not just some --- I think she’s beautiful look. It’s the fact that they both know how lucky they are to be with one another as partners and as friends. Maggie is a special education teacher and Hans works in sound tech --- different fields but both actively helping to make something better, stronger, and be its best self; And it is what they’re doing for each other, too. A love party starts to mean so much more when you realize that two people’s love is impacting all their relationships --- with their work, their friends, and people they are just meeting. These two have enough love to change the world, and I’m so excited to watch them do just that.

Maggie + Hans generously donated to the JED Foundation through their event.

Emily + Jenna

The term bride is so loaded, right? From the moment you get engaged, people have now decided that the best day of your life is on the books and your true womanhood peak is inching closer. Want to know the great thing about Emily + Jenna? These two didn’t give two shits about this. They are both power players in the political scene --- Jenna, Hillary Clinton’s Digital Director, and Emily, the Vice President of Analytics at a Global Strategy Group, a political polling firm, are the definition of LADY BOSS. They crush it in their work scene --- so, this love party was obviously not a peak of anything. Not an accomplishment. Just a celebration that two totally rockin’ individuals in their own right met somebody they wanna kick it with forever.

The winter wedding was cozy and warm in the always inviting Housing Works. A progressive Jewish ceremony officiated by Rabbi Kleinbaum followed by a night with no sit-down dinner --- just a progressive approach to an extended cocktail hour. This meant more time for dancing, Hungry Hippos [yes - they brought in some CLASSIC board games] and homemade ice-cream made by Emily’s family’s farm. On top of all this magic was A LOT of Beyonce and girl-power anthem that made you stop to think --- are we celebrating just their love tonight? Or maybe all the amazing friendship love surrounding them, too? Because let me tell you --- there was a lot of that. Their core group of friends they call the STRONG LADIES. You heard that right. No fragile brides in this room. Just two power-players making it official and doing some sick dance moves in the process with their best friends.

Jenna + Emily generously donated to the Center Against Domestic Violence through their event.

Danielle + Matt

Danielle and Matt bonded over grief. Two individual losses led them to a true, honest, and mutual understanding kinda love that you just don't read about in fairytales; but that isn't because it isn't romantic. Quite the contrary, it's incredibly romantic --- it's just got the kind of depth a fairytale isn't capable of capturing. D+M clung tight to a tenderness and stability they found rooted in their heartstrings for one another. There was a somberness at their ceremony as they walked down the aisle, together, hand-in-hand, because all the attendees knew they weren't making this decision lightly. They'd decided to come together to choose love over sorrow, lightness over heaviness, and true partnership over walking their paths solo.

Aside from their love, which is inspiring enough to write pages and pages on, they're also fun --- don't let my initial paragraph fool you! No, no. These two can dance and laugh and enjoy and all the while, keep things in perspective. They've got the good stuff --- each other. Our Team was so giddy to coordinate this one for these two. It was such a gorgeous day at MyMoon with an even more gorgeous, relaxed couple that so obviously was meant to be together. D+M, you two rock. Thanks for inviting us in on just a small part of your journey.